The pig had been shot with an electric stun gun but regained consciousness
A butcher working in a Hong Kong slaughterhouse was killed after a pig he had shot with a stun gun woke up in a fit of rage.
The city's police say the 61-year-old sustained a wound from a 15-inch meat cleaver after the writhing pig knocked him to the ground.
He had stunned the pig just moments before but the animal had regained consciousness and managed to topple him over.
A colleague found him unconscious with a cleaver in his hand and a wound on his left foot,
The Mirror has reported.
He was later pronounced dead at hospital.
Hong Kong police said his cause of death is still to be determined.
The region's labour department expressed its "deepest sympathy" to the butcher's family and said it has launched a probe.
In a statement, the department said: “The Labour Department is saddened by the death of the person and expresses its deepest sympathy to his family,” it said in a statement.
“We will complete the investigation as soon as possible to identify the cause of the accident, ascertain the liability of the duty holders and recommend improvement measures.
"We will take actions pursuant to the law if there is any violation of the work safety legislation."
Hong Kong's Food and Environmental Hygiene Department - which manages slaughterhouses in the city - offered condolences to the man's family.
It's currently unknown whether the pig managed to escape slaughter.
Pigs are rarely violent animals, only when protecting their young, and are considered highly intelligent.
Their high-aptitude comes from their capacity for social interaction, emotional cognition, ability to feel pain and hygiene routines.
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